


automatic//more than i'd ever imagined

by Flavortext



Series: Scanlan Voice: I love Pike Trickfoot [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, post Dalen's Closet oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 13:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20489405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flavortext/pseuds/Flavortext
Summary: Kaylie and Scanlan have a chat after the wedding.





	automatic//more than i'd ever imagined

The wedding party elects to save the true festivities for the  _ planned _ time, instead descending (many leaning on each other groggily, still reeling from the effects of the poison) from the cliff face in a gaggle. Grog hoists Percy and Vex onto his shoulders and gets Scanlan to play a tune behind them, and doesn’t let them down until they reach the shared halls. Everyone says a quiet, tired goodnight, Pike and Keyleth pass out some healing and restoration spells, and slowly the group breaks apart as people head to their rooms to recover. 

Scanlan twists the slightly crushed bundle of snowdrops he’s still holding onto. A few had been plucked out and placed in the lapels and behind the ears of various guests as they’d walked, but the majority of them are still tied neatly together. He sighs as he remembers the way Pike had blushed when he’d snuck one into her hair as they’d walked. He’d made sure no one saw,  _ they _ were still a very new and delicate thing, whatever they were, and had elected to wait until things become clearer before really telling the group that something was going on between them. He’d had one (drunken) conversation with Grog when he’d escorted Pike back to her home in Westerun late one evening, but he isn’t sure the goliath totally... _ caught on _ . He hadn’t mentioned it since, at least. 

Scanlan reaches his door and knocks with the back of his knuckles. 

“‘S me!” He calls through the wood. There’s the sound of shuffling on the other side before it swings open. Kaylie squints at him, comb caught between her teeth. She slowly takes it out, not moving from blocking the door. 

“You’re not actually sleeping here, are you?” She says bluntly. Scanlan looks at her, confused. 

“I...planned to? Are you not comfortable sharing- I could get another room?” He offers, raising his hands defensively. Kaylie shakes her head, glancing at the flowers.

“I just figured you and Trickfoot would be,” She clicks her tongue and shrugs, stepping back. Scanlan gapes. 

“Kaylie, we’re not-” He fumbles, stepping into the room and checking behind himself to make sure the hall was empty before closing the door. He sighs in relief but lowers his voice a bit anyways. “How did you know about that.” He hisses. Kaylie turns her back on him, going back to a mirror and fixing her hair. 

“You send me a letter every few weeks and ninety percent of the content is ‘Oh, went out with Pike today, bought groceries, she smiles like the sunlight, worshiped the ground she walks on.’ It’s gross, really.” Kaylie smirks at his face in the mirror. 

“I don’t-” Scanlan shuts his mouth and frowns at her sternly. “We aren’t an  _ item _ .” He says finally. Kaylie sets her comb down and turns around, face falling into something more serious. 

“But you have like, set weekly dinner dates?” She asks. Scanlan sets his flowers down on his dresser and sighs. 

“We’re taking things  _ very _ slowly. Nobody else knows.” He says, then quickly adds. “It’s okay- it’s good! She’s making me very happy, and I think she’s very happy, I do, we’re just not ready to... tell people or move further than that.” He stammers and turns back to face her. 

“So you aren’t fucking,” Kaylie says, still frowning. 

“ _ Kaylie!” _ Scanlan cries, pained. Her eye’s widened a little. 

“So you  _ are  _ fucking, and going on dates, just  _ hiding it _ and lying to yourselves. Damn.” She grins at him finally. Scanlan stomps his foot, looking about as if someone might be hiding in a corner or peeking in through a window. The room is empty save for their bags and beds. 

“She’s a complicated woman, Kaylie. I’m just going at the pace she sets.” Scanlan says defensively. Kaylie scoffs. 

“No, I like it. Wouldn't be you without a little drama.” She quips. Scanlan makes an exasperated noise. “I’m just saying, secret relationship? That’s going to go over  _ great _ in this group.” She laughs. Scanlan sighs and sits on the edge of his bed. 

“She’s just...” He chews his tongue for a moment. “I kinda harassed her, from the day we met, it was a running joke and the whole group saw it.” He says slowly. 

“Doesn’t surprise me, but go on,” Kaylie says, leaning back against the table and crossing her arms. 

“I think that  _ she _ thinks that if the group finds out... they might think I somehow pressured her into it, or that she felt guilty for rejecting me over and over. Or that it was just the aftermath of battle getting to us and ‘oh, we’re not dead, let’s fuck!’ or something.” Scanlan fiddles with his suit, looking down at his hands. Kaylie is quiet for a moment. 

“And, it’s not any of those things, right?” She says carefully. Scanlan looks up at her. 

“I’ve always said I’ve been in love with her since the moment we met, and I’ve just fallen all over again a million times since then, but...I’d erase all those precious moments in favor of the past year we’ve spent together.” He says earnestly. 

“Gross,” Kaylie says back immediately. Scanlan can’t help but laugh. 

“I think...I think we’ll tell people, eventually, Pike just wants to be sure I’m in this for the long haul. Which I am.” He looks back down at the floor, legs kicking against the mattress. 

“Have you told her that?” Kaylie asks steadily. Scanlan shrugs. 

“I...not exactly? She kinda asked me to stop saying I loved her because it was too fast, like, a month into it. So I’ve just been trying to show her, wait until she says it first.” He says. Kaylie whistles a long low note. 

“She’s got you  _ hooked _ , dad.” She says with a chuckle. Scanlan glares at her. 

“I can and will find another room if you want me to.” He threatens. Kaylie shrugs and grabs her jacket off the foot of her bed. 

“Allura and Kima invited me out for drinks since the bride and groom jumped the gun our bachelorette party plans are nixed, but we can still have  _ fun _ .” She shoulders the jacket and shrugs at him. “So stay here and be a sad old man or go have a fun time with Pike, doesn’t matter to me.” Kaylie gives him a smile and waves as she reaches the door. “Just don’t get caught sneaking back if you do. Or, do, I love some good drama to cure a hangover.” Kaylie laughs and tugs open the door. 

“Oh!” Scanlan’s head snaps up at the voice. 

“Oh, hello Pike!” Kaylie says cheerily. Scanlan cranes his neck to look past her at the white-haired figure. Kaylie glances back at him with a raised eyebrow. “I’m just headed out. I’ll be gone a while. Put a sign on the door or something if, you know,” She slips past Pike into the hall, ”Gross shit.” She laughs and hurries away, leaving both older gnomes staring at each other. 

“Hey, Pike.” Scanlan says quietly, standing from the bed. 

“Did she-” Pike says, stepping through the doorway finally and closing the door behind her. Scanlan sighs, running a hand through his hair. 

“She may have figured some things out. I didn’t tell her, but I can’t lie to her for shit.” He leaves out the part of not even trying. Pike smiles at him, stepping out of her sandals and putting them next to the door. Scanlan stares at them, brain running wild with a million interpretations of the small action, before Pike steps into his range of vision and his brain focuses again. 

“It’s okay, I figured she’d know first probably, anyways,” Pike says softly. She tucks a bit of hair behind Scanlan’s head and he knows she doesn’t miss how he melts into the touch of her fingers. He’s so long past being embarrassed by how easily she can read him. Pike only smiles warmly at whatever dopey expression he makes, though, and lets her hand linger on his cheek. 

“Today was pretty much what I expected from a Vox Machina wedding,” Scanlan says after a moment. “Honestly, I think one death would have been my lowball.” Pike laughs, which makes him laugh. 

“We still really do attract all kinds of trouble,” Pike says with a smile. She shifts her feet slightly, which draws Scanlan’s mind back to its previous conundrum. 

“Your shoes,” He says slowly, glancing back behind her as if to check they’re still there. Pike chuckles a little. 

“I passed Kima on the way over, she told me they were taking Kaylie out, so I figured it was a good time to chat.” Pike takes Scanlan’s hand and tugs him over to the bed, sitting on it with a little bounce and leaning against the headboard before patting the spot next to her. Scanlan dutifully sits, their shoulder’s brushing. Pike rubs his knuckles and drops her head on his shoulder. 

“About anything in particular?” He asks when it seems like she isn’t going to start. Pike shrugs, leaning further into him.

“Well, I assume you’re playing at the reception, right?” 

“I mean, I’m not a one man band, but Vex made me promise the opening few songs. And I vetted the actual band, they’ll do fine.” He says, leaning gently back against her. Pike is quiet for another moment. 

“And after that, you can dance?” She asks. Scanlan makes a noncommittal noise. 

“I guess so? Not totally my medium of choice. Mostly I planned on drinking, getting into trouble. I suppose Vex might want me for a- does she want me to do a father-daughter dance now? Is that where our friendship has wound up?” He winces. Pike laughs and snuggles into his side. 

“I think it’s sweet that you walked her down the aisle. I doubt she wants to dance with Syldor, so, maybe?” 

“How would that even work. I barely reach her waist.” 

“You could... polymorph?” Pike suggests around a giggle. 

“Into what?”

“Hmm...Planatar would probably be a little awkward.” Pike says. 

“You’re only suggesting it because you think I look hot like that.” Scanlan teases. He can see Pike blush out of the corner of his eye. 

“Shut up! You could drop it right after, I was just trying to think of something taller.” She says. “You could stand on my shoulders?” She adds before he can make a joke. Scanlan laughs. 

“That would sure make it memorable. Can you dance?” He asks, turning a little to watch her face. Pike tilts her head up to look at him, blushing still. 

“That’s kinda why I came here.” She says softly. Scanlan looks at her openly, waiting for further explanation. “I don’t totally know how, and I’m probably not very good but I wanted to...ask you if it would be okay to ask you to dance. At the party.”

“You’re...asking permission to ask me to dance?” Scanlan clarifies. Pike nods. 

“Just- in front of people. I don’t know if you’d be okay with that.” She says. 

“I mean, I’m sure everyone’s going to be dancing with everyone, at some point. There’s no reason we can’t- oh.” Scanlan stops himself as a look of frustration crosses Pike’s face. “You want to dance...as a pair?” He shies away from using the word couple. 

“Maybe?” Pike squeaks. Scanlan shifts a little, facing her more and taking both her hands. 

“Pike, I would absolutely love to dance with you, but I want you to be  _ sure _ .” He says seriously. Pike nods and steels herself. 

“I am, Scanlan. I’m very thankful that you took going slow seriously but I don’t like sneaking around and I’m not very good at it, and sooner or later I’m going to blow our cover and- well, we might as well have this, right? While we have the chance?” Pike smiles a little sadly. Scanlan thinks back to watching from the water as Keyleth hauled Pike and Vex ashore, of Percy’s screams and her limp form in the sand. He nods and leans forward, kissing her lightly. Pike’s fingers curl in his shirt. 

“Okay, I can do that.” He says. Pike’s eyes light up and she kisses him again, relief washing over her. 

“Can you actually dance?” She asks. Scanlan rolls his eyes. 

“I can try, it’s been a while. We’ll work it out.” He leans his forehead against hers. Pike chuckles and kisses him again. 

“I still haven’t seen your suit for tomorrow. This one is nice.” She says, smoothing out the front of his shirt. Scanlan smiles. 

“Thanks, I think you’ll like it. Willhand helped me.” He says. Pike makes a face but giggles after a moment. 

“Hopefully we don’t clash too much, then.” She says. Scanlan thinks back on how he’d gone to Willhand and begged the man to tell him at least the  _ color _ of what Pike was wearing to avoid that exact circumstance and smiles. 

“Only in that, your beauty will far surpass mine.” He says with a smile. Pike blushes and drops her head to his shoulder. He traces a hand over her back, changed out of her dress for the rehearsal and into a light shirt, her hair in a loose braid instead of the fancy one she and Keyleth had done earlier. Pike shivers and places a kiss on the crook of his shoulder. 

“Kaylie’s gonna be gone a while.” She says after a moment. Scanlan hums caught up in looking at the last rays of sunset playing off her white hair. Pike turns her head a bit and kisses his jaw, snuggling closer into his side. He turns his attention back to her. 

“She is...” He says slowly. Pike smiles at him and reaches up to cup his face in her hands. 

“You shouldn’t let this get wrinkles.” She says seriously, eyes flicking down to his chest. Scanlan swallows, and nods. Pike smiles and kisses him, no longer soft but not quite demanding, just full of intent, and drops her hands to start on his buttons. Scanlan waves his hands quickly to put an arcane lock on the door before attempting to return the favor. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! Poor Kaylie probably doesn't come back to the room she knows whats up. Man we've been starved of Pikelan these post campaign oneshots :( that offhanded comment really threw me but at the same time... the gang would probably pester this pair so much if they knew they were together so I understand.
> 
> I'll probably write a part 2 (the dancing) to this sometime, I'm just about to move and need to get settled in first!  
Pls leave comments/kudos :3  
Title comes from "Automatic" by Castro


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